Menaka : towards a return to calm?

December 27, 2017

Ménaka

Several months after the deterioration of security conditions in Menaka, mixed patrols have resumed at the initiative of the governor of the region to secure populations. The region is subject to attacks, especially from the terrorist groups that roam the region.

“All is well in Menaka, it’s calm” says Moussa Ag Acharatoumane, leader of the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA). Three months ago, this former executive of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) which he left to create the MSA in October 2016, raised the alarm about the security situation in the Menaka region .

“The situation in Menaka has evolved negatively since the last crisis around the city of Kidal, when it was a region that had made some progress in terms of security. What gave hope to the people”, he explained to Sahelien.com at the end of October. The region was the target of attacks by terrorists of Ansar Dine and the Islamic State in the great Sahara of Adnan Abu Walid Al-Sahrawi.

“Currently, there are checkpoints all around the city of Menaka and patrols also take place every night, ensured by the MSA, Gatia and the Malian Armed Forces”, adds Acharatoumane. These mixed patrols began about three weeks after their disruption led to a deterioration in security conditions. “There were thefts, killings and robberies every night in town, to the point that some NGOs had closed their doors because of this insecurity”, says this other fighter.

Thus, at the initiative of the Governor of the region, Daouda Maïga, the armed movements decided to take part in securing the city. This led to a curfew from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am. In order to mobilize the population around this security system, a meeting was held in Menaka a few days ago, in which the Member of Parliament Bajan Ag Hamadou in particular, took part.

Sahelien.com is a news site created in February 2014 by Malian, Nigerian, Burkina Faso and American journalists, with the support of the Klédu Group (Mali) and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).